Two hundred year old brewing company turns to solar to power its pints

Independent Yorkshire brewery, T&R Theakston has received funding from North Yorkshire Council for the installation of solar panels to provide energy to the near 200-year-old Masham business.

South facing buildings within the Theakston brewery site in Masham, have undergone a transformation, with the addition of 205 solar panels, which will produce circa 25% of the brewery’s annual energy requirement.

Theakston’s received funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which was administered by North Yorkshire Council. It follows a number of capital investment projects by Theakston’s over the last 12 months which have sought to ensure the historic brewery is able to continue producing high quality beers and offering tours of its facilities as it prepares to enter its third century in 2027.

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston’s, said: “We are grateful to the UKSPF and North Yorkshire Council for their support through this funding which has enabled us to take this valuable step towards a more sustainable operation here at the brewery.

“Being based in the heart of North Yorkshire, we're passionate about the environment and are proud to be playing our part to protect it. From our use of traditional wooden casks for Old Peculier and all our other casks, which are collected, cleaned and reused every day to now being able to produce our own energy, we are committed to evolving in ways which will make our business and our industry more sustainable.”

North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, former chair of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Local Partnership Group in the county, said: “Looking at renewable energy sources is a key priority for the council so seeing this funding going into solar panels at Masham is a perfect fit.  The UKSPF programme set out to boost the local economy and add community value for local people, and this project fits the bill perfectly.”

To find out more about T&R Theakston, visit: www.theakstons.co.uk.

ENDS

For more information contact Chloe Murray or Ben Ormsby at Aberfield Communications on chloe.murray@aberfield.com / ben.ormsby@aberfield.com, or call 0113 880 0444.

Notes to editor

About Theakston Brewery

Theakston Brewery of Masham is one of the UK’s oldest and most highly regarded independent brewers. Founded in 1827, Theakston has been Brewing Legends Since 1827, brewing a range of much-loved traditional and contemporary beers. A proud sixth-generation family brewer, Theakston remains one of the largest independent breweries under family control in the UK.

At the heart of its brewing heritage is the iconic Theakston Old Peculier, internationally acclaimed as one of the great British ales. The Theakston portfolio includes a combination of cask and keg beers, with ten permanently available:

• Theakston Best – the quintessential English session ale

• Theakston Old Peculier – the Legend

• Theakston Peculier IPA – a widely acclaimed hop-forward IPA

• Theakston XB – Masham’s best-kept secret

• Theakston Lightfoot – a gluten-free cask ale

• Theakston Quencher – a new low-ABV cask ale

• Theakston Barista Stout – a coffee connoisseur’s favourite

• Theakston Pale Ale – a Mid-Atlantic-style New England Pale

• Theakston Dark Mild – the only nationally available Mild in the UK

• Theakston Nowt Peculier – a game-changing 0.0% alcohol-free beer, crafted using the same ingredients and methods as Old Peculier, with innovative reverse osmosis filtration to retain its rich, dark, and fruity character.

This core range is complemented by a selection of well-established seasonal ales.

Theakston Brewery has a long tradition of supporting the Great British Pub and the communities it serves, with a strong commitment to quality, brewing excellence, and heritage. Visitors can experience this firsthand at The Black Bull in Paradise, the Theakston Brewery Visitor Centre in Masham, open year-round.

For more information, visit www.theakstons.co.uk or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok and LinkedIn.

About the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

For more information contact Chloe Murray or Ben Ormsby at Aberfield Communications on chloe.murray@aberfield.com / ben.ormsby@aberfield.com, or call 0113 880 0444. Third-party news items that are posted on the Guild website come from press releases and emails received by the Guild. These are posted as they have been received. Their publication on the Guild website is an informational service only and is neither an endorsement of the content, nor its sender, by the Guild. For enquiries, please use the contact details that can be found at the bottom of each post.